The Azuma River in Azuma-gun originates in Mt. Torii and flows eastward through Azuma-gun, joining the Tonegawa River, the largest river in Ueno Province, and then rolling into the sea.

Now Li Xiao and Sanada Masayuki's Takeda Army detachment is trekking along the Azuma River, because there is a hot spring located in the upper reaches of the Azuma River, so the water of the Azuma River is filled with a smell of sulfur, and of course, there are no fish and shrimp in the river to survive in this situation.

If you go down the Azuma River, you will arrive at Iwaki Castle.

A shower peculiar to the hilly area had just fallen, and the stream in the valley was bubbling down into the Azuma River, diluting the smell of sulfur, and the soaking wet samurai of the Takeda Army were wading through the water with their horses, and many of the Ashigaru soldiers were wading through the stream with their gaiters loosened and used the handles of their guns instead of their crutches.

At this time, Li Xiao and Sanada Masayuki had just received the news that the main force of the Echigo Army, led by the general Saito Asanobu and Sebe Katsunaga, was advancing along the streets of Azuma, and had already entered Azuma County, and would arrive at Iwaki Castle the day after tomorrow.

Hearing this news, Li Xiao and Sanada Masayuki were shocked, which means that they must defeat the strength of Murakami's army at the latest, and then rush to Iwaki Castle to relieve the siege, otherwise with the strength of Takeda Katsuyori and Okuma Asahei's own team, they will not be able to resist the main force of Saito Asanobu and Sebe Katsunaga's Echigo army.

After the siege was lifted, they had to abandon Iwaki Castle immediately, and then find a way out to escape back to Shinano in the mountains of Azuma County, otherwise it would be unfortunate to be surrounded by such a superior force of Uesugi Castle.

Thinking about the arduousness of this task, Li Xiao and Sanada Masayuki both felt a lot of pressure, but the reinforcements from the Sanada family, the Kohata family, and the Takeda Nobutoyo family, who were supposed to come, did not move at all.

Li Xiao held the maroon horse in one hand, took the seaweed rice ball handed over by Yumi Kohata in the other, ate it in one go, and then continued to discuss with Sanada Masayuki and Shimakatsu how to prepare for a decisive battle with Murakami Yoshikiyo.

At this time, a samurai came to report that Deura Morikiyo, the Togakure ninja crowd, had returned.

Li Xiao and Sanada Masayuki glanced at each other, and they were both overjoyed. Then the two of them really saw that Izuura Shengqing led a person over, this person followed Deura Shengqing, dressed very strangely, wearing a deep woven hat that covered the entire head, a blue cotton suit, stepping on grass shoes, but wearing a robe on his chest, a convenient bag, and holding a shakuhachi in his hand.

Deura Morikiyo walked up to Li Xiao and Sanada Masayuki and said to them, "This person is the leader of the local Azuma Shinobi, Yokotani Yukishige. ”

Li Xiao looked at this Yokotani Yushige, his dress was the decoration of the Void Monk. The Void Monk is a disciple of the Puhua Sect, which is a branch of the Rinzai Sect.

The Void Monk usually travels all over the world, and as a practice, it is a bit similar to a walking monk.

And the hat that is upside down on the head like a toilet bowl is called a canopy. The Void Monk usually plays the shakuhachi in his hand, and gives joy to the people to maintain his life.

Because the Void Monk has no shaving, and can hide his appearance with the canopy, and as long as he can play the shakuhachi, it is easy to dress up, and many ninjas are dressed like this when they perform tasks, and many ronins who can't survive during the Warring States Period often change to the dress of the Void Monk, and beg for people in this more decent way, cheating to eat and drink.

And the person dressed as a nihilistic monk is Yokotani Yukishige, who is known as the Sanada ninja with Deura Morikiyo.

Yokotani Yukishige squatted on the rocks by the stream with his feet, and Li Xiao could feel that his gaze behind the hat was staring at this place.

Li Xiao, Sanada Masayuki and Shima Katsu walked side by side in front of Yokotani Yukishige.

Li Xiao first said: "You know everything we want you to do, right?" ”

Facing Li Xiao's questioning, Yokotani Yukige laughed a few times.

"What's so funny?" On the side, the island was victorious, and shouted unhappily......

Yokotani Yushige jumped off the rock, pulled the ruler in his hand sideways, and said, "This samurai-sama, why be angry, of course your affairs are clear, but only if you can afford the price." ”

Li Xiao smiled slightly and said, "I can meet the conditions of money." But the conditions we want you to do are not easy, the ninjas of Iirope Mountain are not low-handed, they are good at reconnaissance, stealth, ambush, what I ask is your wife Shinobi, to completely suppress them for me, abolish Murakami Yoshikiyo's eyes and ears, and make him blind and deaf. ”

Yokotani nodded and said with a smile: "If I was in Shinano's Iinerope Mountain, I wouldn't dare to agree to your conditions, but in Azuma County, my ninja has been climbing mountains and mountains in this mountain all day, and it is the land here, and no one is more familiar with the terrain." So in Azuma-gun, the Iirope Ninja is not our opponent. ”

Li Xiao nodded and said, "Very good, then I can rest assured, I will let this Lord Depu Shengqing help you." ”

Li Xiao arranged this because Izuura Mori had cleared out the virtuosity of ninjutsu, and at the same time, he could also monitor the actions of Azuma Shinobu under Yokotani Yukige.

Yokotani Yuki glanced at Izuura Morikiyoshi again, and said: "Izura-sama's ninjutsu, I have admired it for a long time, and with him to assist us, we can suppress the Izuna ninja together, this task is even easier, but before I do anything, I want Your Excellency to collect a little money first." ”

"Bastard, are you still afraid that we won't give it to you?" Shimakatsu shouted and cursed.

Li Xiao stretched out his hand and waved to stop Dao Shengmeng, and said with a smile: "This is also reasonable, we hire you to fight, and it is also a business dealing, and I will let Lord Izuura give two hundred yuan to your ninjas in a while." But you and your subordinates must move quickly, and you must do this before the decisive battle between our army and Murakami's army today. ”

Li Xiao's last few words are categorical and unquestionable.

Yokotani Yuki pressed the canopy hat on his head, nodded, and said: "Understand, I will definitely do this, I heard that Lord Li Xiao of the Takeda family has the demeanor of a martial artist, and now I see that this is really the case, if this first cooperation goes well, I think we will have a lot of business contacts in the future, then I will take a step first." ”

After saying that, Yokotani snorted, jumped on the rock, and jumped up the mountain among the rocks and trees with dexterous movements, and disappeared in the mountain forest in an instant.

After Yokotani Yukiki left, Izuura Mori Qingyan said: "And Lord Li Xiao, the few mountain people you want me to contact have also agreed to our conditions, and now they are going here to fight with our army." ”

Sanada Masayuki said on the side: "Although there are hundreds of people in these mountain tribes, they have not been trained and their combat strength is weak, so I am afraid they will not be able to help us too much." ”

Li Xiao listened to it, and said confidently: "These mountain people, I have my own usefulness, now I have ten percent of the strength, there is no need to mobilize only nine, Murakami Yoshikiyo is a fierce general, and the lord has also suffered two big defeats in his hands, we must not underestimate him." ”

Sanada Masayuki heard Li Xiao say this, and nodded and said: "Since this is the case, according to your intentions, Lord Li Xiao, now wait for Yokotani Yukishige's Azuma ninja to suppress the Isato ninja people, our army will immediately turn back and unite with the mountain people to attack Murakami Yoshikiyo." ”